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OTTAWA — Jets head coach Claude Noel is putting the band back together.

Last year’s top forward line of Bryan Little, Andrew Ladd and Blake Wheeler was reunited for Friday’s practice in the nation’s capital as the Jets look to find an offensive boost in time for Saturday afternoon’s clash against the Senators at Scotiabank Place.

“There’s more desperation right now,” Little said Friday. “There’s more pressure on us to go out and do something. With a shortened season the games matter a lot more. You don’t have as much time to get the chemistry going and feel each other out. You gotta get something going right away.

“That’s what they’re looking for. That’s why they switched up the lines so fast. They’re trying to find a spark right now.”

The new-look second line consists of Olli Jokinen at centre, Evander Kane at left wing and Nik Antropov, a regular centre, on the right side. The third line has Alex Burmistrov at centre, Alexei Ponikarovsky on the left and Kyle Wellwood on the right.

The previous top unit consisted of Jokinen, Kane and Wheeler, but it was a combined minus-14 since being formed three games into the season. Noel said after Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at MTS Centre that changes to the top six forwards and power play unit were on the way, and he made good on that promise Friday.

“I’m just trying to get some people going a little bit,” Noel said after Winnipeg’s 60-minute session at the Senators’ practice facility. “We’re stuck a little bit. We’re not creating a lot of offence. So right now what we’re trying to do is just move some things around and see if that will go. Whether they are that way (Saturday) will be determined (Saturday).”

Little, Ladd and Wheeler started last season together and then finished it the same way with a bit of a hiatus in between. They were broken up this year after the Jets signed Jokinen, with Wheeler moving up to play with him and Kane.

Little shifted to the right wing eight games ago, and he has been Winnipeg’s best forward over the last few contests. He’s not apprehensive about moving back to centre, however.

“I’m not going to argue with it,” he said. “Centre’s my natural position, so wherever they see fit I’ll play without putting up much of a fight. I don’t mind going back.”

The Jets, who have lost four of their last five outings, are getting nowhere near enough production from their forward lines. In fact, the Jets continue to lead the league in points from their defencemen. Winnipeg’s blue-liners have nine goals and 34 points, which isn’t good when you consider the Jets are in the middle of the pack when it comes to overall scoring.

Little, Ladd and Wheeler were split up early last season, coincidentally enough, because they weren’t producing. Now they’re back together because they weren’t producing apart.

“You’re just trying to sort through this stuff and trying to figure out what’s working, what’s not,” Noel said, clearly frustrated with the situation. “For a period of time the lines were going and now they’re not. There’s just not a lot of time to try to prepare. You just gotta try as quickly as you can to get things going the best you can. So that’s what we’re trying to do.

“Sometimes there’s some chemistry and excitement that comes with being back together, and we’re trying to create some of those things. We’ll see if that’s the way it stays (Saturday).”

Winnipeg Jets top line of Little, Ladd and Wheeler back together

Last year’s top forward line of Bryan Little, Andrew Ladd and Blake Wheeler was reunited for Friday’s practice in the nation’s capital as the Jets look to find an offensive boost in time for Saturday afternoon’s clash against the Senators at Scotiabank Place.

“There’s more desperation right now,” Little said Friday. “There’s more pressure on us to go out and do something. With a shortened season the games matter a lot more. You don’t have as much time to get the chemistry going and feel each other out. You gotta get something going right away.

“That’s what they’re looking for. That’s why they switched up the lines so fast. They’re trying to find a spark right now.”